A Not So Daring Dash
by Darbselah
Summary: After a tough run-in with a giant rock golem Rainbow Dash is feeling a little less confident than usual. It's up to Fluttershy to help her friend get her groove back.
1. Chapter 1

"So... uh - I guess I'll see you later Dash," Fluttershy said quietly. They had just landed in front of Rainbow Dash's Cloudsdale home.

"Right," Rainbow pawed at the ground looking forlorn, "later."

Fluttershy could barely hold back tears seeing her friend like this. "I guess," she started timidly, "I could come in for a bit. That is if you want me to."

"No-no. I'm Fine!" Rainbow blurted out, but Fluttershy could see that this just wasn't the case. She watched as Rainbow Dash made her way inside, ears drooped and hooves barely getting off the ground. She didn't know what to do. Rainbow had always been there for her and she so wanted to return the favor.

"B-but... Please!" The desperation in Fluttershy's voice stopped Rainbow Dash at the threshold of her home.

"Whatever," Rainbow rolled her eyes, "come in if you feel you need to. Just so you know I'm headed to bed. A Pegasus needs her sleep."

Rainbow Dash always acted so tough but this time Fluttershy could see her friend needed some comforting. True to her word Rainbow Dash headed straight for her room and threw herself down on the bed. Fluttershy stood in the doorway feeling very awkward. The earlier encounter with the Rock Golem really hadn't gone well at all.

The ponies had been sent by Princess Celestia to see why supplies from Fillydelphia hadn't been arriving with their usual regularity. It hadn't taken much in the way of investigating to discover that a giant Rock Golem had decided to start charging a toll to all convoys heading through his canyon and when anyone refused he simply took his fee by force. Of course Rainbow tried to deal with the creature in her usual straightforward way of a kick to the chops but this time the creature was having none of it. With a giant hand he blindsided the unsuspecting pony and sent her crashing into the canyon wall. It would have been even worse if Rarity and Twilight hadn't softened the blow with their magic. The ponies eventually subdued the creature and convinced him that there were better, more honest ways to earn money, but Fluttershy had noticed that Rainbow hadn't been the same after being hit.

Once they returned to Ponyville all the ponies went their separate ways but Fluttershy had noticed that Rainbow still didn't seem right and offered to fly with her to Cloudsdale. Rainbow had ignored all attempts of Fluttershy to start any conversation during the flight. She even, surprisingly, declined a desperate suggestion of a race. She had Fluttershy very worried.

Fluttershy stood in the doorway a minute more before deciding that her uneasiness wouldn't keep her from helping her friend. She made her way to Rainbow's room and peeked inside. The only light came from a moonlit window at the far side of the room. She could just make out the silhouetted shape of her friend curled up on top of the bed. She couldn't stand seeing Rainbow this way. She stood for a few moments more, building up the courage to speak.

"Umm... Rainbow?"

No answer.

"Rainbow?" she repeated. Although Rainbow Dash had her back to her Fluttershy could see her shoulders shaking and hear the muffled sobs. "Oh Dashie!" She ran to Rainbow's side and threw her arms around her. At first Rainbow Dash went silent and stiff, but only for a minute before she simply melted into her friend's embrace.

"Oh Fluttershy," Rainbow turned towards Fluttershy and buried her face into her chest. She sobbed uncontrollably now her slight frame shuddering. She didn't seem to be able to form any words and Fluttershy pulled her in closer.

"It's alright Dashie." She stroked the troubled pony's multicolored mane. "We all need to be held by a friend sometimes."

"But I'm not supposed to need it," Rainbow Dash bawled between bitter sobs. "I'm supposed to be the tough one, remember?" She looked up at Fluttershy through teary eyes. Fluttershy had never felt closer to her friend than at this moment. All along Fluttershy had felt like the weak link between her friends. She was afraid of everything, she worried about everything, and she didn't even know how to stand up for herself. The others had always supported her and she felt that they probably got sick of it from time to time, especially Rainbow. Fluttershy had always admired Rainbow's courage and impenetrable bravery. Admittedly, she had more than admired Rainbow, but it had never really mattered because she was sure Rainbow had never seen her as anything more than a crybaby. She never in her wildest dreams would have thought the current situation was even remotely possible.

Without thinking she pulled Rainbow in even closer. Rainbow's head nuzzled right up under her chin. She continued stroking the agitated pony's mane as she slowly rocked Rainbow back and forth. "It's okay now, Dashie," she said soothingly, "I'm not going anywhere tonight."

"I've never really felt so scared before Fluttershy," Rainbow said brokenly. "I actually thought that that was the end." Fluttershy gently wiped the tears from Rainbow's eyes.

"We all have something were scared of. What's important is that we are always here for each other." She closed her eyes relishing the feeling of Rainbow in her arms. After a bit Rainbow's whimpers turned to sighs and the little Pegasus curled up comfortably against Fluttershy's body.

Fluttershy looked down at her friend with a timid smile and more confidence than ever. "I'll always be here to protect you Dashie," she promised quietly.


	2. Chapter 2

Fluttershy woke with a start, the chilled breeze coming from the open window and a lack of a certain blue Pegasus seemed to be the likely culprits. _"Where did Dash go?"_ she thought gloomily to herself. She lay looking up at the cloud ceiling as she worried that she may have overstepped some bounds last night. She yawned, licking her dry lips as she rolled off of the comfy cloud bed. [i]"I hope I wasn't too forward last night,"[/i] she thought, regret and anxiety filling her mind as she made her way to the kitchen, hoping to see Dash there.

The Kitchen was as empty as it seemed the rest of the house was.

"Dash?" she called out. No reply.

"Dashie?" Still nothing. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror by the refrigerator and realized she was quite a mess, her mane going this way and that without any particular course. "I wonder if Dash had to work this morning?" she asked herself feeling more anxious about the preceding night. She figured she'd probably feel better after getting cleaned up. She made her way to the bathroom thinking that Dash wouldn't mind if she took a quick shower.

The bathroom was in a state of untidiness that Fluttershy couldn't help but feel, matched her fast friend. She meant to be quick but ended up taking her time in the hot shower, letting the water calm he nerves. As she dried herself off, using one of the hanging blue towels adorned with a rainbow lightning bolt, she couldn't help but notice how much they smelled like Dash. _"Just like an approaching storm,"_ she thought. She pushed her muzzle into the soft cloth breathing deeply and feeling slightly ashamed at the thoughts entering her head. _"Come on Fluttershy, quit thinking like a depraved naughty filly,"_ she mentally scolded herself. After a few moments, tidying her mane and brushing her coat with a comb she had found on the counter, she returned to the kitchen.

She needed to get home to take care of her animals, but she didn't want to just leave. Finally, she decided to leave a note. She searched for paper and pen in the jumbled drawers, smiling to herself at how disorganized the rapid racer was, finally finding what she needed, she scribbled a quick note.

Dash,

Hope you are having a wonderful day. Remember that all your friends will always be here for you, and I am always here for you if you ever need a cuddle. (She blushed furiously at writing this and nearly scribbled it out before continuing.) I'll come by later with some dinner.

See you soon,

xoxoxo

Fluttershy

She looked at the short simple note, debating whether or not she should actually leave it. It made her nervous to be so forward, but the cyan Pegasus had finally let down her guard and she didn't want to miss out on a chance for what she had always wanted. She pawed at the ground, note in her mouth, knowing she needed to get to her animal friends. "C'mon Fluttershy, you can do this!" Before she could talk herself out of it she dropped the letter on the counter and ran, giggling, out of the house.

The number one cloud buster in Equestria wasn't having her way today. Her game was just off. She came in to a desk full of paperwork; her boss was out and she was one of the ones he had chosen to handle the office procedures. She had looked through the papers: Write-ups for different areas where weather schemes didn't go as planned, requests from some of the farming communities for additional showers, a request from one pony for some increased wind to run his windmills, and more. After spending hours sifting through the clutter, Cloud Kicker had shown up and asked if she could clear the skies in a sector near Cloudsdale.

"Where is Slipstream?" she asked

"Called in sick, said he had a terrible headache."

"Well, he's causing me one," she grumbled on her way out, surprising Cloud Kicker with her tone.

A few hours later she was two hours into what normally would have been a thirty minute process. "Why won't you just cooperate!?" she yelled as she repeatedly bucked a particularly stubborn cloud.

"Whoa, Rainbow Dash!" approached the voice of her friend Cloud Kicker. "I don't think you're supposed to try to kill the poor cloud, dear."

Rainbow blushed, realizing she was missing the cloud entirely with most of her heated kicks. Her ears drooped, and instead of dispersing the cloud she sat on it.

"Are you alright Rainbow?" Cloud Kicker asked cautiously, worry in her voice.

"Fine. I'm just..." Rainbow looked away, not really wanting to talk to anypony at the moment. "...Just tired."

Cloud Kicker frowned at the demeanour of the usually upbeat pony. "I can get a few of the guys to come over and finish up this area. Why don't you go home and get some rest?"

Rainbow sighed, still not looking up. "Alright. Sorry, I'll make up for it tomorrow."

"You're off tomorrow, just get some rest," said the purple Pegasus, eyes full of concern.

"Thanks," she finally forced a smile and looked into her friend's face, "I promise I will." With that she took off towards her home leaving a worried Pegasus in her wake.

She still couldn't keep the same thoughts that had distracted her all day from running through her head. Why did Fluttershy have to insist on being with her last night? It wasn't really fair. She was hardly ever weak and certainly never in front of any other pony. She had to admit that she was thankful that her critter-loving friend cared so much, but when she had held her, Rainbow had felt all her walls break down. She hated feeling weak, and she hated letting her friend see her that way. She also hated that she didn't hate the feeling of being so close to Fluttershy. For some reason, though, that thought also made her angry at her friend.

She needed to figure things out. She had dealt with feelings of fear and low confidence before, but in the past she'd always talked herself up and convinced herself that she was the most awesome pony ever. Lately, she had stopped believing herself as much. Even though she had evidence of her bravery and some remarkable feats, she still had an empty feeling sometimes, especially when she was alone. All of those feelings came on strongly after the incident with the Rock Golem yesterday, and came to a head when Fluttershy had held her close.

She was surprised to see her house approaching and couldn't really remember any details of making the trip. She entered her house, still feeling ashamed at herself, and went to the kitchen for a bite to eat.

"I'm sure some food, drink, and maybe a little adventure with Daring Do will get me out of this funk." She pulled a pre-made salad along with some Sweet Apple Farms Hard Cider out of the fridge and went to rest in her bedroom, completely missing the heart-outlined note addressed to her on the counter.

She was right. Her mood seemed to be improving as her stomach was finally filled for the first time since the previous morning; the hard cider was probably not hurting either. Finally, she began to feel like herself again when a gong, that was her door chime, interrupted her reading.

"Who could that be?" she wondered aloud as she went to answer the door.

Fluttershy pawed at the doorstep nervously, waiting for an answer. She was worried about her friend and also quite worried about the note she had left. As the day had worn on, she had become more and more unsure that it was alright to put the part about cuddling in. _"Oh, I hope she isn't offended by it,"_ she thought desperately to herself. Finally, the door opened revealing a smiling Rainbow Dash – that is, until she saw Fluttershy on the other side of the door. The smile faded quickly to a slight frown and her ears drooped as she looked down not wanting to meet Fluttershy's eyes. "Oh no, oh no, oh no," Fluttershy thought, panicked.

"Hey Flutters." She didn't look up, but it was not often that she called her friend by her pet name. "Whatcha doin' here?" Still no eye contact.

"Umm, I brought dinner... like I said I would," she managed shyly.

Rainbow looked up, surprised. "Oh, I don't remember you saying that, sorry." She moved aside letting the yellow Pegasus, with a basket tied to her back, in.

"Oh, well, didn't you get my note? I left it on the cupboard."

"Ah, sorry, I must have missed it." She said heading over to the counter.

Fluttershy panicked, it was tough enough to leave the letter in the first place, she definitely didn't want to be here while Rainbow read it. "Eeeep!" she exclaimed. "You don't need to read it now," she insisted, but Rainbow already had the note in hoof. Fluttershy squeezed her eyes as tight as she could, waiting for a reaction. When none came she peeked up at her friend in time to see her blue cheeks turn quite red.

 _"Is she mad? Embarrassed? Annoyed?"_ She couldn't read her friend's mood and Rainbow was staying silent, seemingly reading the note over again.

"Dinner sounds nice, thanks Flutters." She smiled awkwardly at her friend seeming to choose to ignore the part about cuddling. Still Fluttershy was happy to hear her pet name used again as she started unloading the contents of the basket onto the countertop.

"I brought daffodil sandwiches, with the works, some soup that we need to heat, some buttercream strawberry malt, and for dessert chocolate dipped berries from SugarCube Corner." She looked up to see Rainbow practically drooling over the spread and couldn't suppress a giggle.

"I kind of ate just an hour or so ago," Dash started guiltily, "but I think I can go for round two!" Fluttershy was happy to see some of the distress melt away from her friend at the presentation of the meal.

"Good! Do you have a pot I can heat up the soup in?"

"Yeah, I should in here somewhere," she answered digging and clanking through cupboards. "Ah, here we are." She produced a large black, mostly clean, pot with a huge cheeser smile for her friend.

Fluttershy couldn't hold back another laugh seeing her friend's old self coming around. "Well, go sit down and relax for a bit Dash and I'll get the food ready."

"Are you sure? I can help, ya know."

Fluttershy gently prodded her adventure loving friend away. "No-no, it's my treat tonight."

"Alright, I'll just go grab my book from my room and then chill in the living room for a bit then."

Fluttershy got to work on the food, washing the, almost clean, pot and finding plates and glasses. She was so relieved that Rainbow hadn't flipped out over the note and even more so that she seemed to be reverting back to her old self. She turned the heat on the soup, stirring it lightly and breathing in the sweet aroma. She always had been a good cook and she had spent extra time finding the perfect ingredients and painstakingly preparing the food. She wanted everything to be perfect for her best friend.

She finished setting the table, removing a beautiful single rose from the basket and placing it as the centerpiece. The soup was heated through as it softly bubbled on the stove. She ladled it into a couple of bowls, poured the malt into the cups, and set the sandwiches on a plate to the side of each soup bowl.

"Rainbow, foods ready," she called into the living room.

Rainbow came in and faked swooning. "Oh my goodness, Fluttershy, it smells amazing," she said with a huge smile for her friend. Fluttershy fought the blush she felt coming on at the compliment from her friend. "Seriously Fluttershy, I might even feel guilty at eating such a beautiful meal." Rainbow instantly reddened at the uncharacteristically sweet compliment she had just bestowed on her friend.

Fluttershy smiled good naturedly at the comment. "Thanks Dash. It's not very often I get to cook for anyone other than myself or Angel."

"That does bring up a point," the prismatic Pegasus said as she took her seat. "What's the occasion?"

Fluttershy froze. She didn't want to risk injuring her friends pride by telling her she was checking up on her after yesterday's events; she also didn't want to scare her friend off by telling her that, after last night, she just needed to see her again. Rainbow looked on waiting for a response. "Well, after I came here last night I just realized that it had been a long time since I've just come for a visit. I figured I would just return tonight while it's fresh on my mind. And I always love an opportunity to cook for someone else," she smiled.

"Okay." The simple word along with Rainbow's drooping head and ears were like a punch to the gut for Fluttershy. Rainbow played with her soup seemingly less interested in eating now.

 _"Oh Celestia, I'm an idiot! It's not like Dash can't tell I'm lying,"_ Fluttershy mentally scolded herself. "I just had to come see you again after last night!" she blurted out in a stream of words followed by her hooves covering her face. _"Oh my Celestia!"_ She froze not daring to come out from behind her hooves. She heard the chair across from her scrape across the floor as Dash moved from her seat. _"Is she leaving? I've really done it now! I hope I haven't ruined our friendship."_

Just as she was about to peek she felt Rainbow's hooves on her forelegs, pulling them down from her face. "Sheesh, settle down Fluttershy. You just came to check up on me, it makes sense. I'm sure you'd do the same for any of our friends." Even though it was unintentional, the words still hurt Fluttershy. It was true, she would be there for any of her friends, but she had really tried to make things extra special for the pony she'd always hoped for more than a friendship with.

"Right... I'm sorry, just... I don't know... sorry..." she trailed off nervously noticing that Dash still had her hooves on hers. Rainbow noticed as well and with a blush and nervous laugh she pulled away to rub the back of her neck.

"Let's dig in Flutters, everything looks and smells awesome."

With that the Pegasi began to eat, Fluttershy with the dainty grace of a princess and Rainbow with the unsophisticated manners of a tomcolt. "Whow! Dish ish dewishush!" Rainbow remarked around a particularly large bite of sandwich.

Fluttershy beamed. "Thanks Dash – oh my, you're a mess," she laughed louder than usual.

Rainbow offered a huge food-between-teeth smile. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying to be as impolite as possible.

"Oh Dashie," Fluttershy quietly laughed, "here, let me help you." She approached her friend with a napkin and began to wipe the food from all over her muzzle. "There, good as new" she beamed at the blushing Pegasus. The antics continued as they finished their meal, Fluttershy was happy to see her closest friend in such a good mood.

"Oh my," Rainbow said leaning back and rubbing her distended stomach, "that was delicious. I'm stuffed."

"Awww, are you sure you don't have room for some chocolate berries?" Fluttershy asked retrieving the bowl of berries from the counter.

"I'd forgotten about those. Hmmm." She looked down at her stomach and prodded it a few times. "What do you say stomach? Wanna try for overtime?" She suddenly sat forward, an idea coming to her. "Hey, have you read the Daring Do series?"

"No, I haven't read any of them."

Rainbow's eyes looked like they might pop out of her head. "What!?" she exclaimed with shock. "Well we need to fix that right away! Grab the berries!" She grabbed hold of a laughing Fluttershy's hoof and pulled her willingly into the living room. "Now you don't have to leave really soon do you?" she asked with obvious concern in her eyes.

"No, Angel and the animals are all taken care of for the night."

"Perfect! Then we'll start with book one. I'll be right back, just gotta make sure Tank gets fed and has fresh water then I'll grab the book," she said making her way toward her room. "Make yourself comfortable," she called back.

Fluttershy couldn't believe her luck, not only did Dash seem not to be offended by last night or the note, but now she actually wanted her to stay and hang out more. She made herself comfortable on the couch. She had forgotten how relaxing cloud furniture could be. It had been a long time since she had given up living in Cloudsdale for life in her critter-filled cottage, a hard choice, but one that had brought her so much happiness. She leaned back into the couch letting it engulf her and shut her eyes, completely relaxed.

"Hey! No falling asleep already," Dash accused. "We haven't even started yet."

Fluttershy laughed meekly. "Don't worry Dash, I was just getting comfortable." Dash took a seat next to Fluttershy and threw a blanket over them. She wiggled into the couch getting cozy and opened the book. Fluttershy tried to hide her blush as Rainbow had practically snuggled right up against her.

"So, should we trade off every page or every chapter?" Dash asked enthusiastically.

"Umm, I would love to just listen to you... I mean if that's okay?"

"Sure Flutters," she said with a smile. "Just... don't fall asleep." Fluttershy thought she almost detected fear in the normally brave Pegasus' eyes. She wondered again what was going on with her dear friend.

"Don't worry, I won't." She smiled and then decided to try something very uncharacteristic – take a risk. She gently leaned her head until it rested on Rainbow's shoulder. She felt the other Pegasus stiffen momentarily, but then, with a sigh, she seemed to relax.

"The Sapphire Stone was no mere legend, in fact..."

Rainbow read as Fluttershy listened, becoming engrossed in the story as well as the feeling of being so close to the pony she cared most about. As they reached the end of the sixth chapter Fluttershy couldn't stifle a huge yawn.

"Oh my, it is so late Rainbow, I should probably get home."

"Oh... okay then," Rainbow answered nearly inaudibly, her ears pressing to her head once again.

"Rainbow, are you okay?" Fluttershy asked, concerned.

Rainbow didn't answer right away but slid off the couch avoiding eye contact with the yellow mare. Fluttershy knew something was wrong and she wasn't about to leave her friend in this state.

"Rainbow," she slipped off the couch and brushed up against Rainbow's side, "what's going on?"

Rainbow sniffed, visibly upset, and turned her head away from Fluttershy settling on her haunches. "It's just that... Well lately I- I've been..." her head dropped as she stared at the floor. "Nothing," she simply ended with.

Fluttershy could feel tears threatening at seeing the condition of her friend. "Dash?"

"I don't... I mean, could you..." she looked up at Fluttershy, eyes filled with unshed tears. "Could you please not leave tonight?" With that she threw herself at the smaller Pegasus and buried her face in the pink mane.

Fluttershy was in complete shock. She felt her own tears start to run down her face as she struggled to figure out what was going on with her usually courageous friend. She wrapped her arms around the quivering figure of her friend and began to stroke the multi-colored mane. "I won't go anywhere Dashie. I'm here as long as you need me." She fought the urge to plant a kiss on top of Rainbow's head and instead busied herself with guiding the troubled mare toward her room. She helped Rainbow climb up on the bed and asked quietly if she had an extra blanket and pillow so she could get settled on the floor.

"If you don't mind, will you just come up here with me," the normally animated Pegasus nearly whispered.

Fluttershy was once again surprised, but happy to comply. "Of course Dashie," she answered climbing onto the bed and then over the mare to settle in behind her. Dash scooted back until Fluttershy's chest was pressed against her back. Fluttershy accepted the invitation and wrapped her forelegs around the agitated Pegasus.

Once again she fought the urge to kiss the distressed pony's neck and instead settled for nuzzling against it.

"Like I've said before Dash, I'll always be here to protect you." The gentle coo she received from the pony she held was all she needed to ensure a good night's sleep.


End file.
